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Dear Wemakeit Community,
We hope this message finds you well!
How can we raise our voices for hope and solidarity? How can we build bridges and overcome the mental and material barriers that keep us apart? How can we engage in academic discourse together with civil society?
Let’s do it together! Thanks to your generous support, we were able to complete the interviews and recordings in Senegal for our documentary Dem-Dem Exodus, and to produce a new trailer — which will be presented during the event Migration & Hospitalité on 23 October.
We are delighted to invite you to two public events at ETH Zurich:
📘 Reimagining Africa – with Felwine Sarr (in English) 🗓️ 22 October 2025, 18:00 📍 ETH Zurich, HG E 3, Rämistrasse 101
👉 Event information 👉 Registration form
Join us for an open conversation with Prof. Felwine Sarr, exploring the ideas behind his book Afrotopia and their relevance today.
🎬 Migration et Hospitalité – Conversation avec Siby Sow, Felwine Sarr et Kim Thúy (en français) 🗓️ 23 octobre 2025, 18h15 📍 ETH Zurich, PBLabs RZ D8, Clausiusstrasse 59 (en français, sans inscription)
Présentation du nouveau trailer de Dem-Dem Exodus. Pour quelles raisons nous déplaçons-nous et dans quelles conditions ? Quelle place accorder à l’hospitalité et à la dignité ? Comment restaurer les relations et développer des perspectives de vie commune ? Lors de cette soirée, nous croiserons les regards artistiques, philosophiques et littéraires sur les mouvements des humains.
Both events will be followed by an apéro — we would be delighted to see you there!
With warm regards, Siby, Cheikh Tidiane & Charlotte
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Dear Backers, dear Wemakeit community, We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all those who have supported our storytelling project «DemDem. The great exodus». We want to tell the true story of Pape Tamsir a young man from Senegal who lost his life in a shipwreck on the Atlantic Ocean while trying to reach Europe. Our aim is to raise awareness for the dangers of these journeys, to shed light on the existing challenges and possible solutions regarding our common life on this planet, and to open spaces for conversations that connect communities. You made this dream possible. Here is an update on the project: • Siby Sow is currently in Dakar working day and night with the local production company • Extended interviews with Matar, Pape Tamsir’s cousin, have been conducted at Pointe Sarène. Matar traveled with Pape Tamsir and survived the shipwreck. He saved Pape Tamsir’s life twice, before he finally drowned. • During the interview, Matar shares his perspective on the journey. • Matar and Siby had the opportunity to exchange with students from Cheikh Anta Diop University Dakar and to collect testimonials regarding their wishes and dreams for the future. • Footage from Île de Gorée, the prison island and starting point of slavery transports from Dakar, has been produced and integrated into the film. • Test samples of automated subtitles for the interviews conducted in Wolof have been produced. All this would not have been possible without the extensive support of so many people. Whether it is by donating money or know-how, or time, or care, or attention, or a contact, or even just a thought or a shared conversation…the ways to support this mission are manifold and we value all of them equally. We are deeply touched by your profound care and enthusiasm for our project. We will get back to you as soon as possible with further updates and are looking forward to sharing the very first raw-cut version of the film exclusively with our support community. Thank you so much for carrying forward our common mission! All the best, Siby, Cheikh Tidiane & Charlotte